Leo Magana: Accuracy and Representation in the Community
This quarter, my focus has been shifted from policy research to helping with the redesign of San Jose’s BeautifySJ website. This website is dedicated to educating citizens on a city beautification initiative and updating it will make information regarding the initiative clearer. The current website is graphically appealing but does not quickly inform users on the most important aspect of the initiative which is how to get involved. Although this project is more technical than I’m used to, it has taught me the fundamentals of how to inspire a collective goal and get people to take action.
The aim of inspiring a collective goal and getting people to take action is difficult to do in any setting and is especially true for a city as diverse as San Jose. I’ve now been exposed to some of the planning that goes on in order to address as many people and as many issues as possible. With such diversity, there is always the possibility of confusion or misinterpretation which I have also come to learn is incredibly important to avoid. For this reason, people are appointed to focus on different issues in order to collect information about all parts of San Jose. If their research is not accurate then they may incorrectly represent a portion of the population. This kind of mistake needs to be avoided because it could do significant damage to the community. Every meeting is unique; I frequently learn about new issues. Although I am not working on researching at the moment, the research skills I have developed will help me better inform myself for future use in the workplace or just to become a more-informed citizen.
Last quarter, I discussed my decision for joining this program which was to figure out if I would ever like to work fulltime for a government agency or a nonprofit. I am still not sure if it that is the route I want to dedicate myself to for my early career. However, my experience has made me reflect on my own life to appreciate the opportunities that I have received. I grew up in an underserved community but, due to luck, met a lot of people that helped me get to the point where I was able to attend a private university. Many of my peers, growing up under the same conditions, were not as lucky. They were never given the opportunity to make the decisions I made and were not to blame. For this reason, I want to dedicate my time to helping those with similar upbringings to give them the same opportunities I have had. I believe the best way to make a large impact is through the government or through nonprofit agencies which I think I will one day return to, or volunteer for, during my extra time.